Lime Green Robes
by Elesrea
Summary: An unexpected guest is sent into her hands at St. Mungo's. After having him under her care, she finds that maybe she's not the only one who's ready to let go of the past. A fluffy short story. DM/HG
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the events or characters. Except Lilith.  
Warning: Explicit language

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Chapter 1

...

It had been a grueling day at St. Mungo's, and Hermione was ready to jump into her shower and go to bed. She gave her overnight patients a final check before cleaning up her office and tossing her lime green robes over the chair. Just as she was about to check out, the emergency alert system beeped loudly throughout her mind. Slightly alarmed, she walked over to the system on her wall and pressed her fingers on the button to let the caller know she was in.

"Healer Granger," the attendants voice immediately shot through. "There is an new patient that requires your immediate attention. We're sending him up to the Spell Damage ward now. Room 406."

The connection cut off and Hermione inwardly sighed. She only allowed herself a moment of self-pity before she grabbed her recently tossed robes and threw them on again.

She threw her office door open and rushed through the hall, wondering what had happened. She knew that St. Mungo's usually did not use the emergency alarm system unless it was absolutely necessary. She bit the inside of her mouth and narrowed her eyes. It looked like she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.

Locating 406, she slid the door open to see two emergency-on-site healers were setting the patient down.

"Tell me the situation," she asked calmly, not betraying her true feeling of anxiety as she noticed the bloodied body on the bed.

One of the men handed her a small file. She took it and began casting diagnosis charms on the man. "He was found right in front of his apparent place of residence, stunned multiple times and hit with cutting hexes. We suspect he had been there for a good half-hour before someone called."

Hermione's jaw lowered, but continued to stare at her diagnosis. She nodded her head and the two men left efficiently.

After assessing the damage, she cursed. The man was nearly dead. He had an incredibly large head injury, a few broken ribs, his heart had temporarily thudded out of existence, and he was loosing blood incredibly fast. Hermione casted multiple tracking charms and began countering the stuns first.

The door slid open again, and her assistant Lilith slipped in, her glasses fumbling on her face as if they had been hastily threw on.

"Thank Merlin you're here," Hermione breathed. "I need blood replenishing potion, skelegrow, the salve on the counter and the wraps, please."

The dark haired girl flew to the counter and began pouring the needed potions into vials and placed them within Hermione's reach.

After a few moments, she saw her charm lit up in response, giving her a slow but steady heart rhythm. She released a breath of relief. That was one thing out of the way. With another wave of her wand, she placed barriers over the cuts to temporarily stop the bleeding so she could heal the wounds.

Deciding to address the head injury first, she pushed the bloodied hair out of the way to clean the area. Her hand froze and her body went rigid as she finally realized whom she was healing.

Draco Malfoy had his head turned towards her, his familiar face in clear view after pushing back his blonde hair that had been tinted with blood and dirt.

After staring at him with shock for another second, Hermione forced her body to move. He was a dying man for Merlin's sake! Every minute counted. Lilith thankfully didn't see her internal struggle as she had her back turned. Keeping her trained eyes on the injury and not the person, she ignored the racing of her heartbeat and began to clean the large gash that ran from his left cheek to the top of his head. After putting the blood on hold, she mended the skin and removed traces of possible magical disturbances that could stop her from fully healing him.

She moved on to the next few grievous injuries, repeating the same steps, trying to keep her mind occupied on the injury. After healing a rather deep cut across his chest she settled her eyes on his right leg and cursed.

"What is it?" Lilith inquired, still spreading salve over the healed cuts and wrapping the wound with a swish of her wand.

Hermione scowled. "The leg injury is deep. It tore through the critical muscle and ligaments…" She trailed off, but she knew Lilith understood her meaning. The leg would probably be unusable.

Hermione steadied her wand and began to form a number of complex binding spells. She was determined. St. Mungo's hadn't put her at the top of the Spell Damage ward at the young age of 21 for nothing.

Sweat started to slide down her temples as she focused her magical energy on healing the muscle tissue. She stared intensely, twirling her wand in complicated motions and watched as the cuts began to connect again. After an hour of intensive healing, she sealed the skin with a wave and released a sigh of relief.

Lilith switched places with her and began to wrap the leg. Hermione moved onto the more manageable cuts, thankful that they weren't as terrible as the others.

They worked in relative silence for another two hours before Hermione finally conjured hospital clothing to replace his old tattered ones, and threw the sheet over his body.

"We've done all we can do," she said tiredly, chugging down a glass of water. "Go and rest. You've been of great help tonight."

Lilith beamed, thanked her and practically skipped out of the room. Hermione sighed quietly. She remembered when she was an assistant to the major healers, following them around like a shadow.

She glanced at her watch, and sighed again when it read 3:20am. She had to get up in another 3 hours to check her other patients. Dropping her wrist, she picked up the tossed file and peeled it open. There were records of his previous visits, all jotted down by the healer at the time. She pulled out a muggle pen from her robes and began to fill out the necessary information, checking off what she knew about his current situation, which was not much if she was honest.

She pondered that thought for a moment before risking a glance at the very man next to her. His face was still, but Hermione saw the slow and steady movement of his chest. After the war, she and Harry had spoken at his trial, no doubt surprising him. His father was still sent to Azkaban, but narrowly avoided life imprisonment after testifying that he indeed had also defected last minute with his family. He and his mother were released with very small repercussions, thanks to the fact that Narcissa Malfoy had lied to Voldemort to save Harry's life, and Draco was simply young and was under the threat of a madman.

Hermione shook her head. She had put her past to rest. She really had. It had only momentarily shocked her to see the man who had made her school life miserable, dying and in her hands. She had no idea what Malfoy was doing or who had attacked him with the clear intent to kill. She suppressed a shudder at the though of being sliced into pieces so close to home. She didn't particularly like Malfoy, but she wouldn't wish his current state on anyone.

Her eyebrows furrowed, as she analyzed her current predicament. When Malfoy awoke, she would have to talk to him no doubt. She groaned quietly as bad childhood memories resurfaced. He would make her work hell. She was willing to be civil with him as they were in a Healer-Patient relationship within the white walls of St. Mungo's, but Malfoy was never one to care about the feelings of another soul. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and considered setting Lilith to take care of him instead, and only call her when absolutely necessary. It would be a good way for her assistant to get real time practice without someone watching over her shoulder, and she wouldn't have to worry about Malfoy's condition being put into incapable hands. She would check with him each morning when he was still asleep, that way, they didn't have to converse.

Satisfied with her decision, she glanced at her wrist noting another 40 minutes had gone by. She rubbed her eyes in exhaustion and set Malfoy's file down at the foot of his bed. She waved her wand to set an alerting spell to monitor his condition and shut the lights with a flick of her wrist.

Not even bothering to apparate home, she transfigured her office sofa into a somewhat comfortable bed and crashed, barely setting the alarm before closing her eyes.

The moment Hermione's alarm interrupted her dreamless night; she reflexively shot her hand out and stopped the offending sound. Muttering incoherently, she rolled over on her transfigured bed and fell of its side, startling her awake. She rose from her unceremonious position and towed herself to her private bathroom to wash up. After taking a decent shower, she threw on a new pair of robes and headed out to check her current patients.

She entered the first room, thankful that the patient was still resting. This was the main reason why she bothered to wake up this early anyways. The patients wouldn't bother her for information about their condition, and she wouldn't have to walk in during visitor hours for check-ups. Hermione jotted down some notes on their condition, wrote down the list of potions they would have to take for the day and the time and amount required for Lilith, replaced the old bandages with fresh ones and moved to the next person.

After checking in all her patients, Hermione walked down to the staff dining area, grabbed a sandwich and went back to her office, calling Lilith in around noon.

"You wanted to see me?" her assistant entered the office, a bright smile on her face.

Hermione nodded. "I want to give you a separate assignment from the rest of your current duties."

Lilith titled her head, her glasses dropping slightly in the same direction. "What will you have me do?"

"I need you to take specific care of the patient we saved last night," Hermione began. "I think it'll be good experience for you to learn after care procedure instead of always following after me and learning second-hand."

The dark haired girl seemed surprised for a moment before taking a large breath. "What if he get's worse? Or there's an emergency and I don't know—"

"I'll handle it if it comes to that," she assured with a smile. "I've set an alerting charm on his condition to notify me when something happens. Although there shouldn't be any problems as long as you follow normal protocol. Will you take the offer?"

Lilith nodded immediately and Hermione felt herself relax. Thank Merlin; the girl was smart and willing to do as she asked.

"Perfect. I already checked on him this morning so everything should be written in for you." Hermione shuffled through some papers and handed them to her. "These are for the duration of the week. Condition reports are important; notify me when he regains consciousness."

"Of course, Healer Granger," she took the papers. "I'll do my best."

Hermione nodded and sent the girl on her way.

...

Draco felt like absolute shit. He couldn't move a single damn inch to save his life without his body screaming in pain. He grunted softy as his eyes adjusted to the white walls around him, and the foreign sheets that covered his body.

He was sure he was in St. Mungo's. His head was throbbing and his vision went blurry for a few moments. After steading his breathing, he finally remembered what had happened. He had been attack on his way back home by some crazy bastard. He distinctly remembered being called a blood traitor and concluded that it was some insane Voldemort sympathizer that was still running around after the fall and after his head. He inwardly cursed Potter and his Auror team but mostly cursed himself for being so careless. He was torn from his thoughts when the door to his room slid open to reveal a dark haired girl with glasses and a white robe.

"You're awake, Mr. Malfoy!" she exclaimed. "How are you feeling?"

He grunted incoherently, and scowled to the best of his ability. Frustration rose in his chest as he realized he couldn't place his voice.

The healer gave a nervous laugh before walking over to the counter. She picked up a few potions and set them to the side of the bed. "Er—this is for your headache, this one's for your immune system, this is for your leg—"

"My leg?" he finally spoke, noticing the awful way his voice croaked. He tried clearing his throat and stare down at his covered legs.

"Oh, you had a terrible cut on your right leg that severed all responsive connection with the rest of your body," she explained. Draco's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked in disbelief. His chest swelled in dread.

She quickly raised her hand. "B-But it was mended. You were very lucky Healer Granger was the one who was here when you came in. She's the only one who has the hands to preform such a miracle."

Draco frowned. He swore he heard her say something that sounded like Granger. "I'm not following. Who are you?"

She blushed. "I'm Lilith. I'm just an assistant in Healer training. The one who saved you and has explicit care over you is my trainer, Healer Granger. Actually, she asked me to inform her once you've woken up, I'll get her right away."

Lilith scurried out of the room and slid the door shut behind her. Draco was still frozen in his position, taking the information in.

He had been saved by Granger. Bloody, bushy haired, know-it-all Granger.

Draco heard she went into St. Mungo's for training and became a adept healer, he just had never expected to be in her care, much less have her save his life. Surely, she was tempted to simply let his die. Draco inwardly scoffed. No, she was a Gryffindor through and through. She had probably let her honorable hero complex get the best of her, seeing his condition now.

He briefly wondered how she had been holding up. She had shown up during his trial, shocking him to hell and back, and even aided Potter to testify for his case. At the time, he wondered in frustrated dread what they wanted in return, but after the testimony was over, the two of them left and Draco never saw them again. He was thankful to her, but he would rather die a hundred times over before admitting that.

That was over 4 years ago.

Draco groaned and tried to turn on his side to curl up in a ball and die. His body didn't listen to him. He had been attacked to the brink of death; his memory was cut in blanks for some parts of the offending night, and was officially in the care of Hermione Granger.

Was he angry? Not exactly. He couldn't place the feeling as all he ever felt around the girl was anger and bitterness. After being taught that muggles and muggle-borns were lowly beings, he was absolutely furious when she had always beat him in every subject. Except flying of course, but he could hardly count that.

The door slid open again, and Draco snapped out of his thoughts. He craned his neck to see the lime green robes and its owner walk in. For a second, he didn't recognize her. Her face slimmed with the loss of baby fat, she had grown another inch or two, and her usual tangled mess of what she called hair, was now in manageable curls down her back. Her hazel eyes pierced into his grey ones and Draco could see the evidence of lack of sleep under her eyes.

...

Hermione stared at him and waited for him to speak. She was so sure he would try and make some offending comment about her the moment she walked in. He just continued to stare at her from the bed.

She inwardly sighed, so far so good.

She approached him and slightly nodded in greeting. "Good Morning, Mr. Malfoy, I'm Healer Granger. You'll be under my care for your stay here at St. Mungo's."

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but snapped it shut a moment later. She couldn't blame him. He was probably wondering why she was reintroducing herself when they were already so _well _acquainted. She tossed her hair behind her shoulder, glancing at her assistant. Lilith was watching them and Hermione had no desire to let the young girl know she wasn't on the best terms with this particular patient.

She slowly reached over to his wrist, hoping he didn't notice her hesitancy.

"Your pulse is a bit erratic," she whispered mostly to herself. She placed her free hand on his forehead, trying to gauge the temperature without actually touching him too much. "Do you feel cold?"

Malfoy shook his head and stared into her eyes again. She watched them widen a fraction and his pupils dilated with intensity. Hermione was first to break contact, as she pulled her hands back from him. Trying to keep herself distracted, she picked up his file and began flipping through the pages.

"You've been here for about 5 days," she began. "I was able to heal the physical injuries, but I'm afraid the blow to your head is causing brief lapses in your memory for now. Other than that, you will gradually heal and your leave will be scheduled in a months time."

"A month?" he finally spoke. She noticed his jaw lower.

Hermione nodded. "After your extensive care is over, you'll need to attend a week of muscle rehabilitation to use your right leg again."

She expected him to blow up in frustration, demanding that they release him earlier, but he stayed quiet, surprising her for the second time that day.

"Lilith will be here to look out for your condition. If you need anything, she will come and help you." Hermione gestured to her assistant. Lilith stood straighter and nodded in confirmation. She passed her the file and gave a final glance to Malfoy. "We hope for your full recovery here at St. Mungo's. Good Day, Mr. Malfoy."

With her final words, she gave a reassuring smile to Lilith and stepped out the room. She released a large breath of relief and began walking to her office.

Hermione felt a large weight lift from her shoulders and she momentarily wondered how stressed she was about approaching Malfoy. Sure, the conversation had been professional and to the point, but she still couldn't believe he had refrained from making a single snarky comment about her.

Shaking her head, Hermione landed on her comfortable office chair and set to work. If all went according to plan, she wouldn't have to ever talk with him again until his check out a month later. She would still see him every morning, but he was sure to be asleep during the time she came in and did the morning check-ups. Things were about to look better.

...

Draco's mind was still stuck in the moment she checked his pulse. What the fuck was wrong with him? He must have really been hit in the head. He had found himself unable to sneer a simple insult at her. No, he had been unwilling and he knew it. Draco was still accustomed to scowling at her at every meeting; he had a set image in his mind of her teenage self in healer robes. Her current self after 4 years had momentarily shocked him. He couldn't place the feeling and it unnerved him.

Lilith sighed at the corner of his bed.

"Isn't she just wonderful?" she sighed contently again. "I know she said a month, but Healer Granger likes to give her patients the normal estimated time, but she always manages to release her patients within a week or two. Like I said, Mr. Malfoy, you were very lucky."

"Yes," he replied, masking his surprise. "I'm lucky."

He couldn't shake off the feeling of disappointment when Granger had said she wouldn't be taking direct care of him. His stomach lurched at the thought and he inwardly cursed at himself. He should be jumping in joy and thanking every deity he knew, but all Draco could feel was an empty fizz in his chest.

It then dawned on him that he had most likely wanted to talk to her and give her his idea of thanks for saving his sorry arse at the trial. As much as he wanted to deny it, and even after his father had drilled into his head that Malfoys do not thank people, he still had an urge to do it. So much for dying a hundred deaths before he admitted anything.

Draco had long left behind his so-called superior beliefs of blood purity when the war had ended. Look where their thinking had led them. He supposed that seeing her again after so long, especially after tossing his previous attitude had allowed him to see what he was desperately trying to deny in the past.

He sighed and tried to rub his forehead but realized he could barely lift his arm. Damn everything.

It was early in the morning when Draco realized someone had entered his room. He had been an extremely light sleeper since the war, and his body had refused to drop the instinct now. He kept his eyes shut, thinking it was just Lilith making her rounds again, when he felt a hand linger over his forehead and two fingers gently press against his wrist. He didn't know how he knew, but Draco immediately realized that it was Granger instead.

He heard her cast a few spells on him, probably checking his condition and gently tossed the sheets to a pile at his ankles. There was a cork pop of a bottle being opened, and soon felt the cooling salve spread over his injuries. It felt incredibly relaxing. After she had finished his legs, he felt her fingers expertly undo the buttons of the hospital garments and repeat the same procedure.

He cracked an eye open, and met the lime green robes of his healer.

"Granger."

She yelped in shock and jumped back, leaving a large goop of salve on his chest. Her wide eyes locked with his as if to make sure he wasn't talking in his sleep, her hand over her chest.

"Bloody _hell, _Malfoy!" she whisper yelled. "You startled me! How are you awake?"

He raised an eyebrow. He felt somewhat relieved she wasn't calling him 'Mr. Malfoy'. That had been strange to hear. "I'm a light sleeper."

"But I gave you dreamless sleep," she said with incredulity.

Draco attempted to shrug, but realized he couldn't move his shoulders. He settled for a small smirk. "It doesn't work for me anymore."

She stared at him with slightly narrowed eyes, and Draco saw a flash of recognition in them. Granger released a small sigh and lowered her hand back on his chest, spreading the salve again. "At least _try _and sleep. Your body needs rest."

He didn't answer as he felt her fingers leave trails of fire on his skin. _It's just the damn cream. Just the effects of the damn cream. _After chanting the phrase in his mind a few times, he watched her again. Her face was set in concentration, and after a wave of her wand, his chest was wrapped in clean bandages. She buttoned his shirt and turned her attention to his arms.

He breathed. "Granger, I know you have every reason not to listen to me, but I just want you to know that… I'm sorry. And I'm thankful that you saved me."

He saw her freeze mid motion and blink a few times. He couldn't blame her. He had probably never put the words 'sorry' and 'thanks' in the same sentence all his life. It felt foreign to his ears as well. There was a hint of confusion and surprise in her eyes, but quickly left. After a few moments, she resumed her duties.

"I'm a healer, Malfoy. It's my job," she replied.

Draco shook his head to the best of his ability. "I'm talking about 4 years ago… at my trial. I never told you that my mother and I were grateful you and Potter showed up."

Her hands slowed, but she continued her work. He saw her lips quirk up in the corner. "…In that case, you're welcome."

He raised his eyebrows. "And are you accepting my apology?"

"For what exactly?" she inquired.

He inwardly sighed and scowled. "For being a miserable git at school, if you must know."

To his surprise, she laughed softly. She pushed her hair out of her face with the back of her hand and met his eyes. "You're forgiven."

His eyes widened. He didn't think it would have been that easy. He was prepared to fight her verbally for her to know how sorry he was. She seemed to notice his confusion.

"I really mean it," she said. She gently turned his head so that he faced her and began to dispose of his old wrappings. Draco merely stared at her, looking for any glints of lies. "My mum told me, that holding grudges is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. It's pointless and it won't take you anywhere. So if you're apologizing, there's no reason for me to reject."

She conjured new bandages again and stared back at him. Her words had been like a bucket of ice water to his head. She was being absolutely serious, and it was overwhelming how he could just forgive him like that.

She gave him a small smile. "Unless of course I'm an emotionally unstable bastard that likes to dance in my own self pity. Good thing I'm not."

He released a gruff snort of amusement. He wouldn't say it, but it felt incredibly relieving for her to know he was sorry, and for her to accept his apologies.

Granger walked over to the foot of his bed and opened his file, checking through the paper with practiced ease. She returned the file and moved his sheets to cover him with a flick of her wand.

"Lilith will check on you throughout the day," she waved her hand in farewell. "Bye Malfoy."

Before Draco could express his sudden thoughts, she slid the door shut and walked from his sight.

...

Hermione's head was swirling. Draco Malfoy had thanked her, _and _apologized to her. It must have been a dream. She was probably hallucinating from the lack of sleep. But that meant she was dreaming of Malfoy, and she didn't know how she felt about that.

He was being absolutely tolerable, and that scared her more than if he was being his usual arrogant self. She had tried to see if he had been joking with her, but she saw nothing but pure honestly in his eyes. It unnerved her. Everything Hermione thought she knew about Malfoy's one-dimensional personality had suddenly been shattered and replaced by something much more complex.

She slightly stumbled into her office and began mindlessly sorting through the mountains of documents and research material on her desk. It wouldn't be good for her health to think about Malfoy's sudden character this early in the morning. But her mind lingered on him for a while longer, considering the possibilities.

The war changed everyone, even those who were supposedly on the opposite side. She couldn't claim to know him well from school. All she had cared about at the time was that he was an insufferable idiot that had the extensive vocabulary with the words mudblood, blood traitor filth, and other profanities. She considered for a moment that he was simply always complicated, but chose not to see it. She shook her head. That would mean she had misjudged him, and that meant admitting she was wrong.

Scowling, she tossed that train of thought far into the recess of her mind, determined not to dwell upon it. After a few hours of work, she heard Lilith check in for the day, and decided to take a brief lunch break.

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Hermione gave her other patients their routinely checks, released two of them after a thorough examination and finished the night before the clock stroke 12. She even got to add in an extra hour of research time on the development of a new healing charm. Satisfied with her day, she apparated home, completely forgetting about her morning encounter with Malfoy.

The following morning, Hermione was standing in front of 406, her hand on the door slider. Oddly, her heart was pounding against reason as if she was anticipating something and was waiting in excitement.

Which was absolutely absurd. She was definitely not looking _forward _to spending time with him. Yes, that thought was easier to handle.

She slid the door open quietly, hoping not to wake him. Hermione waved her wand, applying her usual spells to check the smooth healing of his body systems.

She saw his eyelids flutter, and his blonde lashes rise to reveal his grey eyes. They darted around the room before falling on her, followed by a strange look on his face.

"Granger," he finally said.

She nodded and looked at her spell's results. "I promise I was being as quiet as possible."

He waved a lazy hand. "Don't bother."

She gently grabbed his waving wrist and checked his pulse. His heart rate had picked up again and she frowned. The man had been lying here for the past week. Why was his pulse raging as if he needed a burst of sudden energy?

Strange. She hadn't noticed anything odd about his records throughout the day from Lilith.

"Have you been this cutting with Lilith as well?" she asked conversationally—anything to falter his intense gaze.

He snorted, and thankfully turned his eyes to the blank ceiling. "She's too scared of messing up. Speaking of her, I heard something interesting yesterday," his eyebrow titled higher.

Hermione lowered his wrist and began her daily routine of replacing the old bandages with clean ones. "Which was?"

"She told me you assigned her to me specifically, which is something that doesn't usually happen." Draco explained. "And after blabbing about how wonderful you are, she said she wouldn't betray your sudden trust in her."

Dear Merlin, the man may have been a step away from death, but he was sharp. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek, and decided to play ignorant.

"And?" she finally retorted, keeping her eyes down.

"Don't play dumb with me, Granger," he replied. "I know you did that on purpose."

Sighing in defeat, she raised her head. "Malfoy, we aren't the best of friends. I'm sure it's more comfortable for you to see Lilith over your care than me. I'm only here in the mornings because you're supposed to be sleeping. Plus, she doesn't check in until noon."

The blonde's triumphant smirk fell and he narrowed his eyes. "Is that what you think I really feel?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Well you haven't given me a lot to work with other than the insults to my blood and snarky remarks to my very existence."

"I thought you've forgiven me for that," he whispered.

She nodded. "I have. But I can't suddenly see you as a warm and caring person now, can I?"

"So it's for your sanity?" he bit out.

Hermione inwardly sighed and shook her head. Strangely enough, she didn't have a problem with the current, tolerable Malfoy. Especially after he had apologized to her.

"For yours," she replied, spreading salve over his chest injury. "Patients are patients to me, Malfoy, no matter what."

He seemed surprised at this. Malfoy's mouth slightly opened, and he seemed to hesitate. "What if… I told you that my sanity's not slipping right now?"

She bit her tongue and tried to contain the sudden eruption of butterflies in her stomach. What the hell was wrong with her? She tried to meet his eyes for the truth, but he wasn't looking at her.

"I don't know," she replied honestly, wrapping his chest up again. "I'd say you already lost your sanity then."

She saw him roll his grey eyes at her and didn't bother to reply.

After finishing cleaning through the last injury, she filled out his file again and gave him one last check. She pulled the sheets over him and bid him farewell, leaving him faster than he could reply, just like the previous morning.

* * *

A/N: Hello! If you've reached this far down I must forward you my happiness. This is my first attempt at a DM/HG fic, so I decided to start out with something short. It'll probably be another chapter or two but I'd love to hear your thoughts!

El


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the events or characters. Except Lilith.  
Warning: Explicit language

* * *

Chapter 2

...

The next few days were spent in a similar manner. Draco would wake the moment she walked in, and they would chat about the last few years. He never brought up the topic again, afraid that she might start avoiding him all together. She had insisted that it was the best for him, but when he really thought about it, Draco didn't give a flying fuck. He rather enjoyed their quiet mornings compared to Lilith's clumsy company.

He was beginning to see parts of her that he had sorely denied back in Hogwarts. After the third day, he quietly admitted to himself that she was brilliant for completing a 3-year healing program in 1, and making it to the top of her branch as the youngest healer ever. She didn't graduate at the head of their class for nothing.

"So what have _you _been up to the last couple years?" she asked.

"Not much," he admitted. "My mother and I took a year to live in France after the war. She had some acquaintances that had graduated from Beauxbatons that she wanted to connect with again. When we retuned, we completely revamped the manor, and two years ago, I decided to start working."

"Working?" she repeated. He understood her confusion. With his inheritance, there was absolutely no reason for him to work a day in his life.

"Well, I don't want to spend the rest of my days at the manor doing nothing but stare at the same walls."

She nodded and gave him an impressed look.

Draco ignored it. "I started working for the ministry, specifically the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Harry never told me about working with you," she commented.

"That's because I work in secret," he explained. "They hand me cases and I tell them everything I know about it. Sometimes they'll introduce dark spells with no lead and the answer will be right in my manor's library. I haven't actually seen Potter since the day of my trial. Besides, I'm sure over half of the ministry wouldn't feel comfortable knowing that they get information from me."

"Do they not question the source at all?" she mused.

"Most of them probably aren't smart enough to think it," he replied dryly. "And I'm sure Kingsley has a cover story for me."

Granger just nodded in silence.

The morning after that, Draco added her sarcastic humor to the list. He had no idea that Granger was rather cynical about some things. He had expected her to be the person who saw rainbows and jolly sunshine in everyone. Apparently, working in a hospital had dimmed that particular quality.

"Does Potter ever talk to you about his cases?" his was searching through his memories, trying to identify the man who had almost killed him.

She caught his subtly. "Sometimes. Although I haven't heard anything about the man who attacked you."

Shit. The girl should have been sorted into Slytherin. He sighed.

"Don't dwell on it," she reassured. "The second Harry catches him, he's sending the man's sorry excuse of a life to Azkaban."

Draco raised an eyebrow and turned to stare at her.

"What?" she slightly frowned.

He shrugged. "I never thought I'd hear you express such disdain for a life." Especially after her whole campaign on elf rights—what did she call it again? STEW? Something like that.

"Malfoy, the man attempted to kill you," she reasoned. "And almost succeeded if might I add. If he really is a Voldemort sympathizer as you said, he deserves nothing but a sentence."

Draco kept quiet after that. His mind drifted to his left forearm where the Dark Mark had been burned into his skin. It had faded over time, but was instantly recognizable by anyone who knew the mark. He knew Granger had seen it on more than one occasion healing him, but she had never asked him, or brought it up. Perhaps she had really left the past behind.

After a full week, Draco had compiled a mental list of everything he finally decided to notice in Hermione Granger. She was intelligent, hard working and driven, she could keep up in a verbal battle with him, but most of all, she genuinely cared. She gave to people, not expecting or wanting anything in return. Once he was able to sit up on his own and move his limbs willingly, she had cheered and gave him a dazzling smile that had practically thawed any remaining uncertainty.

It was after that week that Draco finally admitted to himself that he didn't hate Granger. In fact, he was falling for her, and falling hard. He supposed that he had always thought she was pretty, especially after seeing her at the Yule Ball in their fourth year, but his twisted mindset had blocked every feeling of regard he held for her. Now it was all crashing back to him like an uncontrollable waterfall of emotions.

He stood at a crossroad. Draco had no doubt that after he was discharged from St. Mungo's he would probably never cross paths with her again—unless of course, he was injured heavily enough, but he trashed the thought with a shake of his head. He could choose to admit his newfound feelings but the chance of her accepting them were close to none.

As far as he knew, Granger was still single. If it had been any other woman, he would have been uncertain, but he was considering the war heroine of the golden trio. Draco was sure if he looked hard enough, he could find a whole book dedicated to the relationships Hermione Granger had with people in her lifetime. There was no news about her situation with the Weasel, and after the Daily Prophet had filled almost every page with Potter when he got married, he was sure they wouldn't miss another chance if she had tried to seal the deal. He scowled, but that didn't mean she was seeing someone in secret. He knew now that she was closely guarded and absolutely loathed having lies flying around about her, so if she had decided to meet someone in private, she was definitely capable of doing so.

The thought put a bitter taste in his mouth. Draco rolled his tongue over his teeth and narrowed his eyes in sudden frustration. No, she wouldn't ever choose him. Maybe it would be better to simply leave things as they were and let the find the true man she actually deserved. A part of him screamed. He was a Malfoy, and Malfoys always got what they wanted. His jaw tightened. But he couldn't do that to her. It would be going against everything she ever stood for. Granger was independent, perfectly self-supporting, but most of all, free. He was sure she would never want to cage herself with him.

He threw himself back on the bed, his chest and head stinging thanks to his sudden movement. He laughed at himself, wondering if he had really lost his sanity. He closed his eyes and sighed. Granger's face began to form in front of him. She stretched her lips into that brilliant smile of hers and laughed. He could practically hear her perfectly as if she was really in his head. A small part of him said he had the chance. She wasn't pushing him away, nor did she show any signs of discomfort in his presence. But then again, she was a naturally caring person.

"Damn," he muttered in frustration, rolling in his bed. After his moping, he had decided to try. The worst she could do was reject him, although the notion itself made his chest squeeze uncomfortably. He could at least let her know. For all he knew, she probably thought he still hated her existence.

Coming to a silent agreement, he straightened his limbs out and closed his eyes; thinking of what he could say tomorrow morning.

When Draco awoke, he darted his eyes around but saw no one in the room. He felt greatly disappointed with himself that he had somehow slept through her visit, when he saw the door slide open and Granger walk in.

His heart rate picked up and he took a sharp breath. She was in her usual lime green robes with her long curly hair tied high on the back of her head. Draco followed the curve of her slim neck and dropped to her collarbones, barely peaking out from under her white shirt.

He bit his tongue, hoping that he wasn't grinning like an idiot for not missing her one visit.

"Can't you at least pretend to sleep when I walk in?" she asked lightly, waving her wand for her usual routine.

He smirked. "No."

She glared at him, but Draco didn't see any malice behind her gaze. He kept his signature smirk in place until she pressed her hand against his forehead. Her cool hands left traces of fire on his skin and his lips turned outward into a grin, and a pleasant hum escaped his throat. She titled her head.

"You seem… happy," she observed, removing her hand from his face.

He nodded. "Yes, well I've decided to come to terms with something."

She pursed her lips. "Don't tell me it's something like your impending death, because I'll feel offended."

"It's not Granger." Draco rolled his eyes. "Why in Merlin's name would I be happy about coming to terms with my supposed death."

She shrugged but smiled with amusement. "Who knows? I don't know what you're thinking."

_You'd probably never guess. _Draco inwardly smiled.

Her visits were becoming shorter and shorter as each day went by, as there were fewer injuries to fuss over. Draco knew he only had a few more minutes until she would leave him again for the rest of the day.

"Hey Granger," he began. "You know I don't absolutely hate your guts, right?"

"It's news to me," she replied.

"I'm being serious," he retorted, trying to keep his anxiety at bay.

She went silent for a moment. "It's nice to hear you confirm it."

He nodded. She removed the old bandage off his head and declared the injury healed. She then picked up his file and checked through the papers like she did every morning.

"You're healing really well, so starting tomorrow, you're going to start your rehabilitation with Lilith," she said. "I'm sure you want to start walking again as soon as possible,"

His previous happiness vanished. "Why Lilith?" he asked with a frown.

"Why not Lilith?" she countered with an eyebrow raise.

"Because I want _you_, Granger," he replied without missing a beat.

That seemed to throw her off. She stared at him with wide eyes, probably thinking she had heard incorrectly.

Fuck. He hadn't meant to say it so bluntly. He was so sure she would crawl into a whole and never speak to him again, but to his surprise, she blushed instead.

"W-What?" she finally said.

"What?" he repeated. "I can't ask my own healer to look over my recovery?"

Her jaw lowered. "Of course you can, but you—"

"No buts," he raised a hand and gave her a firm shake of his head.

Her face was a mix of bewilderment and confusion. Her hand was still raised, and she looked as stiff as a statue.

Wordlessly, he grabbed her wand arm and she finally relaxed her body and turned to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed. He swallowed down his nervousness and spoke.

"Look…Granger, as I was saying earlier, I wanted to tell you that… actually, I really—"

Her whole body went suddenly rigid in his grasp, and he could see her cringe as if someone was yelling right into her ear.

Draco remembered Lilith telling him about this. St. Mungo's had an emergency alarm system that rang and could only be heard by the intended healer. She had explained that she was sleeping when the alarm beeped in her head the night he arrived, asking for her aid.

Granger gave him an apologetic look and pulled her arm away, dashing to the small square device on the wall near the door. She pressed her fingers against the red button. A woman's voice rang through the box.

"Healer Granger, a new patient is being sent to the Spell Damage ward. It's highly critical. She'll arrive in room 410. "

The connection cut and she turned back to him biting her lip. "Sorry, Malfoy, I have to go."

With that, she slid the door open and rushed out of his room.

Draco was still frozen in place, his hand in mid-air where she had pulled away from him. A rush of disappointment filled his chest as he continued to stare at the white door.

…

Hermione was speed walking, but her mind was racing at a hundred miles per hour.

What was with that atmosphere back there? He had sounded like he was about to make some big confession. Hermione furiously shook her head.

Impossible. This was Malfoy she was thinking about.

_Because I want you, Granger. _

Hermione tried to force the blush off her face. _He's talking about your healer status! Get a grip! _

A small part of her brain was reminding her of all those trashy muggle romance novels she had read a few years back. The way he looked at her with those eyes of his. It felt like she could have drowned in the intensity. When was the last time someone looked at her like that? Probably never.

Room 410 appeared much too quickly. She opened the door to find the on-site healers inside. They quickly informed Hermione of the situation, and she nodded numbly. Her mind was still reeling with thoughts of Malfoy's behavior.

Hermione set tracking charms over the female patient, who she recognized as one of the new Aurors. She had severe burns all over her body, courtesy of a powerful _Confringo. _She set to work immediately, cooling the body temperature first, and then healing the skin.

Lilith came in a few minutes later looking puzzled and half-awake, but listened to Hermione's instructions effectively.

After a few hours of arduous work and concentration, her new patient was beginning to show signs of full stability. Hermione told Lilith to go and take a break; the girl still looked dazed. She replaced the burned clothes with the hospital garments and tucked the patient under the white sheets.

Hermione stepped back and leaned against the counter, releasing a large sigh. Her heart was pumping with adrenaline, and her eyes hurt from the constant strain.

Her free mind drifted back to Malfoy, and she felt her heart beat even faster. Merlin, he had really shocked her earlier. She shut her eyes and forced herself to believe that it was just Malfoy being a pretentious prick that could say smooth things like that without actually meaning anything.

She refused to acknowledge her raging heart and the warm feeling that spread through her stomach when she was with him.

It was ludicrous.

Impossible.

He had bullied her!

The second she brought up that excuse, she knew she was in complete denial. She had forgiven him of his past transgressions and moved on. They were both now adults, completely capable of thinking and acting for themselves. Using an excuse like that was illogical. And Merlin knows she was all about logic.

"I'm insane," she whispered to herself. "Completely, utterly insane."

She was _enjoying _his company. Every morning she stood in front of 406, her heart beat with anticipation, knowing he was awake and willing to talk to her. He had never disappointed. She shared smiles with him that she only gave to Harry or Ron on occasion, and expressed her thoughts on current events. Not to mention, the man could keep up incredibly well.

Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't had a decent conversation with anyone recently. She shook her head. That was bollocks and she knew it. Healers and co-workers of equal intelligence surrounded her, and she would visit the Burrow or Grimmauld Place at least once a week. She was never lacking company.

Malfoy was simply a decent person to be with when she got to know him. Scratch that. He was more than decent. He hadn't uttered a single complaint—not that she got much in the first place—but most patients wanted to know what she was doing, what they were drinking, asking repetitive questions about their condition, when they would be able to go home, and on and on.

He was always silent, simply listening to her and seemed to trust that she knew what she was doing. She couldn't deny that it felt gratifying to be given such faith.

Hermione pushed herself from the counter and casted an alerting spell over the injured Auror. She needed to eat first, and then she would approach her situation with a rational head.

After having a lunch break in the dining hall and conversing with her fellow healers, she felt much more relaxed. Deciding to get some brief exercise, she hiked up the stairs back up to the fourth floor and into her office. She cleared her desk and called for Lilith.

Her assistant arrived a few minutes later, looking awake and alert. Hermione smiled, figuring that Lilith was definitely not a morning person.

"Healer Granger, you called for me?"

She handed the girl a new file and began to explain. "This is Miss Roth's file. She's the Auror that came in this morning. I want you to start overlooking her aftercare while she recovers."

Lilith took he file and tinned her lips. "What about Mr. Malfoy?"

"Mr. Malfoy's aftercare is over," she continued. "He's going into muscle rehabilitation starting tomorrow. You've done a great job, Lilith, which is why I'm entrusting Miss Roth to you this time."

Her dark eyes sparkled with heightened self-esteem. Merlin knew the girl needed it. "Thank you, Healer Granger. I'll do my absolute best."

Hermione gave her assistant a warm smile and politely dismissed her from the office. As soon as the door shut, she heaved a relieved sigh. Fate had worked wonders for her situation. She was sure Malfoy would be shocked to know Lilith was no longer overlooking him. Twirling a muggle pen in her hand, she felt a small smile form her lips.

There was a familiar sound of tapping to her left and Hermione turned to see Harry's owl, Duane, at her window. She rose and opened the glass for the bird immediately, undoing the letter from its leg and popping an owl treat in its mouth. He hooted affectionately and perched himself on a wooden bar next to her desk.

She undid the scroll with a wave of her wand, and began to read Harry's letter.

_Hermione,_

_James and Ginny are doing well, the same as always. The kid is already having accidental bursts of magic—small ones don't worry! _

_It hasn't been published in the Prophet yet, but we caught Yaxley early this morning. I'm positive he's the one who attack Malfoy two weeks back. He's currently detained in the Ministry and is set for trial in a few days. I'm sure you're aware, but Shirley got caught in his last spell attempt. Tell me when she wakes because most of my team is planning to visit her. Don't be hesitant to hex them if they're too noisy, I'll understand. _

_I hope everything is going well. I know I wasn't in the last two times you visited; Ginny gave me an earful I assure you. Don't keep yourself buried in your research for too long, they'll suffocate you sooner or later. _

_Cheers,_

_Harry _

Smiling, she began to write a reply to him, letting him know that she was still alive and researching. She agreed to let him know when Miss Roth woke up, and added a few comments for Ginny and James. She dried the ink with a flick of her wand and rolled it into a tight scroll. Duane stuck out his leg for her. She swiftly tied the parchment and sent the midnight black owl on its way.

The rest of the day flew by as usual. Hermione decided she would save the newfound information for tomorrow morning so she would at least have something to talk about if things got quiet. She slightly feared his reaction, but if anything, Hermione wanted the truth. She wanted to make sure he wasn't fooling around. She had no idea what he really though of her, but soon she was going to find out.

She woke up in the morning, sprawled out like a sea star on her bed. Crookshanks was curled up in between her knees, and Hermione had to move very slowly so she wouldn't wake him. She took a shower and tamed her hair into manageable curls. Her hair was extremely long now, falling down to her stomach. She found that it had actually done some good by adding that extra bit of weight.

Hermione tossed on a light blue shirt with a thin white robe over it. She apparated to St. Mungo's and slid her wand into the magical Kronos, which checked her in for the day.

She grabbed her healer robes from the office, and stared to do her morning rounds on her patients. After the first day of waking Malfoy, Hermione had left him for last, hoping he would stay asleep longer than way. It seemed to work, as far as she knew, he always woke up a few moments after she had walked in.

She concluded that she would be sending another one of her patients home today, but with the addition of Miss Roth; her schedule had remained relatively the same. After making sure the Auror was stable, Hermione walked over to 406, holding her breath and presenting the face of a confident healer.

The door seemed to strain against her pull. She gave it a strong tug and something heavy fell on top of her. She gasped with alarm and instinctively shot her arms out and bent her knee to stop her fall. It felt like a cabinet full of Lavender Brown's clothes had fallen against her. Grunting, she saw a head on white blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Malfoy?" she choked out, fear gripping her heart.

He groaned in pain in response.

"Hold on—" she pressed out. Hermione temporarily shifted his weight to her left arm, and quickly untangled her wand arm. "Mobilicorpus!"

Malfoy's body fell back from hers in an arc. Before he could hit the floor, he came to a slow stop as if he was being held up an invisible force. She waved her wand and gently moved his body back on the bed. She heard him grunt in pain and mutter a stream of curses.

She released the spell after setting him down and allowed him a moment to breath before she slid the closed and stared at him.

"Malfoy, what in Merlin's name were you doing?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm without much success. Her wand moved furiously through the air as she cast a diagnosis spell, making sure there weren't any new injuries. It appeared negative, and Hermione lowered her wand with relief.

"I was… testing out my leg," he finally said.

She gave him a sharp look. "What? Why—oh never mind don't explain." She pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose and scowled. "You do realize that you could have injured yourself even more? What if I wasn't able to catch you?"

Hermione glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. His lips were pressed into a thin line of concentration, and his forehead was damp with sweat. He turned away from her so she was glaring at the side of his face.

Sighing, she conjured a clean cloth and began to wipe away the moisture. Malfoy was her patient first and foremost and she couldn't allow herself to leave him while she was struggling in her anger. She cast a temporary muscle relaxing charm and saw him visibly ease. His breathing was slowly calming down as well.

"Now," she said in a much quieter voice. "Will you tell me why you were being so reckless?"

He swallowed and gave her a sheepish smile. "I thought you didn't want me to explain?"

"Do enlighten me, Mr. Malfoy," she said sternly.

That seemed to do it. He flinched slightly noticing her anger and sighed. "I… wanted to go see you."

Her heart thudded loudly, and her stern expression dropped immediately. After a moment of silence, she quietly resumed her suspended breathing and raised her eyebrows.

"Why?"

He seemed to struggle for words. "I just… wanted to know your answer."

She knew what he was talking about. "You couldn't wait five more minutes for me to walk in?

"Sorry, Granger." His grey eyes stared back at her, his eyebrows pulling together. He looked genuinely sorry; it hurt her to be angry with him.

She had considered why he had practically risked his life to get a yes or no answer. It didn't make sense. Why was that so important to him? Plus, it still felt extremely odd to hear Malfoy apologize to her.

"It's okay," she finally replied. "I'm glad you're not hurt."

He continued to stare at her and Hermione reckoned he was waiting for the answer. She raised her eyebrows again and gave him a small smile. "Malfoy, if I'm not fussing over checking you in, why else do you think I'm here?"

His eyes widened with surprise and Hermione swore she saw them light up. A lop-sided grin replaced his frown and his shoulders loosened.

"You're the best, Granger. When do we start?"

"Now?" she offered. "Or later when the rehab room is filled with other patients and often trainees."

"Now it is," he chose without hesitation.

She inwardly smiled, of course.

Hermione walked over to his right leg and folded the hospital clothing higher so that it rested above his knee. She placed her left hand under his calf, and her other hand behind his heel.

"I'm going to guide your leg to fold back and forth a few times. Tell me if something hurts, or feels off."

He gave her a nod and she began gently bending his knee. After that, she raised the foot and extended his leg as far as he could, and then pushed it back so his knee hovered over his abdomen. She repeated the process a few times then retracted her hands, asking him to preform the reps without her aid. He did them successfully, and lowered his leg back on the bed.

Satisfied, she conjured a walking cane and handed it to him. He immediately scowled.

"Granger I am not going to use that," he bit out.

"You have to," she insisted. "I'm not going to have you crawl over there."

"Can't you levitate me?" he pleaded, looking reluctant.

She glowered at him. Why was Malfoy so unwilling to just use the damn thing?

Malfoy.

He was a Malfoy. Even the thought of having to rely on a pole to walk probably damaged his pride. Not only that, but the cane had instantly reminded Hermione of the blonde's father. She sighed. No wonder he would rather be levitated.

She vanished the cane with a wave. "Fine," she quietly agreed.

With a sharp flick, Malfoy's body lifted into the air. She gently guided him out of the bed and out the door. She walked towards the rehabilitation center, her wand trained on him.

After a few turns, they approached a large room. The walls were covered with floor to ceiling mirrors and there were all kinds of small instruments lying around. She lowered him on a cushiony black chair and released the spell.

With another wave of her hand, two wooden bars that ran parallel to each other appeared before him. Hermione walked around, slid in between them and gestured for Malfoy to stand.

"Hold onto these while you walk," she explained. "Don't rush. If you fall, I'll catch you."

He smirked. "Like you so expertly did this morning?"

"I was unprepared!" she protested. "And besides, I still caught you."

He chuckled, seemingly amused.

"So," she said. "Let's start."

* * *

A/N: I felt that the first chapter had too many perspective switches, so I separated this one into just two.  
Thank you to everyone who responded to the story, and my fellow non-responsive visitors as well! You guys keep me in jolly spirits. There's going to be one more chapter after this one. Please Review! (:

El


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the events or characters. Except Lilith.  
Warning: Explicit language

* * *

Chapter 3

...

To say Draco was a bit frustrated would have been the biggest understatement of the year. His right leg felt incredibly weak and out of his control, threatening to collapse with every step he took. He furrowed his eyebrows and concentrated on putting most of his weight on his arms. The bars stood strongly even with his iron grip.

Granger had her arms slightly out and bent, walking backwards along with him. She was monitoring his walk and occasionally glanced at his face. She murmured encouraging words and sent him looks of you-can-do-this.

Feeling a rush of resolve, he took a firm step, putting more weight than he usually did. He regretted it immediately. Draco's knee fell forward, his muscles refusing to hold the sudden burden.

He felt Granger's arms around his chest the second he faltered. His face fell over her shoulder and he cursed loudly.

Her chest vibrated in soft laughter, but Draco didn't find anything funny about his situation. He felt like a child, unable to do anything on his own.

The only good thing about falling was having Granger catch him. Underneath the standard hospital smell of potions and disinfectant, he could catch her light floral scent. Her arms were securely holding him up under his shoulders, and his heart beat shot up in the close proximity.

He was given only a moment of repose. She expertly twirled her wand and muttered an unfamiliar spell. His body pulled back from hers and his knee lifted again. It felt like he was weightless.

She gave him a small smile and pulled her arms back.

"You rushed, Malfoy," she commented. "Let's try again?"

He simply nodded. The spell's effects ceased, and he felt heavy again. Draco braced himself against the supportive bars and breathed in concentration.

By the time he made it to the end of the course, he was soaked in sweat. His shirt was clinging to his skin as if he took a swim with his clothes on and his hair was sticking to his forehead.

Fucking hell, he was going to absolutely _murder _the man who had dared to attack him. He had gotten Draco where it would hurt the worst. Instead of killing him off straight away, he was forced to feel weak, and Merlin knew it hurt his pride to have such difficulty walking.

But the moment he raised his head from his internal struggles, his frustration melted. Granger was beaming at him like he had just won the Quidditch World Cup, and her hazel eyes sparkled with pride. Normally he would have felt offended at such a gesture, but he was caught. It was the _look. _He just knew it would always get him.

"Superb, Malfoy," she hummed in satisfaction. She waved her wand. The wooden bars disappeared and his body fell backwards into the black chair. She scribbled some notes in his file and snapped it shut. "I always knew you had a talent for walking."

He cocked an eyebrow tiredly. "It's one of my undisclosed secrets. Don't tell anyone."

She laughed softly. "Your secret's safe with me. Although I think the other people in the room got a glimpse of it."

He glanced around, noticing the other pairs of healers and patients going through different sets of movements. No one was paying particular attention to him.

"Bugger," he replied, trying to keep his tone serious.

"All right, enough jabbering," she waved her hand. "Let's go back."

Before he could question her, Granger bent lower, wrapping her left arm around his back, and throwing his arm over her shoulders. She gripped his wrist firmly, and pulled him up with her. They began their slow progress back to 406.

One part of him wanted to yank his arm away and immediately go take a shower. He felt absolutely filthy in his sweat, but Granger seemed not to care. The rest of him relished under her hold; she was soft and fit perfectly against his side.

He cleared his throat, trying to stop his train of thought before it got too dangerous.

"Why aren't you just levitating me?" he whispered with honest curiosity.

She smirked slightly. "Believe it or not, but we're not supposed to be levitating patients around like a sack of biscuits. It's… a little condescending I suppose."

"But you did it this morning," he reminded her.

She huffed and shifted his weight, pulling him even closer to her. How—he didn't know, but he wasn't complaining.

"That's because you refused to use the cane," she explained. "And no one was walking around to witness it."

"Sly, Granger," he grumbled with amusement. "Never thought that'd you would be the one finding loop holes in official rules."

She glared at him. "Another word Malfoy, and I will drop you and force you to use the walking stick."

"Yes, Healer Granger." He immediately lowered his head, attempting to look sorry.

They reached 406 a moment later. Granger slid the door open with wandless magic—much to his surprise—and lowered him onto the hospital bed. She sighed quietly, tucking her stray hairs back and pulled his file out again.

He watched her jot down a few notes, flip through the sheets and check off some other papers. Her head titled and she pursed her perfect pink lips, seemingly deep in thought. Draco continued to stare at her until she wrote down her last note before snapping the file shut and depositing it at the foot of his bed.

She shot her wand at one of the cabinets, causing a light green potion to fly into her awaiting hand. Popping off the cork, she handed it to him.

"Take this," she instructed.

He grabbed the bottle from her, deliberately grazing her fingers, and downed the potion in a few large gulps. It left a cooling trail down his throat, and tasted mildly of chocolate. His body immediately felt tight as if he was apparating, but the feeling vanished soon after, replaced by a warm sensation.

Granger gave him a funny look as he handed the empty bottle back to her.

"What is it?" he questioned.

She seemed to hesitate before replying. "Don't you ever want to know what you're taking before you drink it?"

Draco shook his head. "You're the Healer here, Granger. Or are you giving me a subtle hint that you're going to poison me in the near future?"

Her hazel eyes rolled. "Thanks for the faith, Malfoy."

He smirked lightly. "Fine then, what did I just drink? Please do explain."

The corner of her lips quirked higher, and her eyes seemed to sparkle—they always did when she was talking about something research related. "It's a muscle building potion. I got the idea from muggle protein shakes; basically they take it while exercising and it helps to heal and build muscle faster. I added a bit of salamander blood—" he cringed. "—And other crucial ingredients I'm sure you don't want to know. Anyway, it's going to help you get back to normal a lot faster."

Draco smiled. "You know, you could have spared me the explanation and simply told me what you said in the last part." Her bottom lip rose in a slight pout. "But of course, it wouldn't have been a Granger worthy explanation otherwise."

Her sulking expression lifted and she seemed amused. "I'm flattered, really." She vanished the empty bottle and turned slightly serious again. "We're going to have another training session tonight, and four more in the next two days. If all goes well, you'll be officially discharged the third morning. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan," he replied, suddenly realizing he didn't have a lot of time left with her.

Nodding, she waved her wand over him, and Draco felt moderately clean again. It wasn't as good as taking an actual shower, but it was a whole lot better than sitting there in his sweat.

"I'll see you later, Malfoy," she walked towards the door and slid it open. "Eat your entire meal. You need the nutrients."

"Yes, Healer Granger," he said in mock salute.

She slightly shook her head and slid the door closed.

Two hours later, Lilith came in for his afternoon check. Granger must have told her to leave him now because she wasn't crushing down his door and demanding to know if he needed anything every hour.

"Hey Lilith," Draco called. She turned to him with slightly wide eyes. "Do you know what happened to my wand?"

"Oh, yes," she answered. "The Aurors have sent it here to St. Mungo's and you can pick it up after you're released."

He nodded, satisfied. "I see. So how long have you been working under Healer Granger?"

The assistant's eyes immediately lit up. Merlin, this girl had issues. "It's been about half a year, but Healer Granger has been very good to me. She's the best healer here—" she blushed. "—Of course, that's just my opinion, but—"

"Spare me." He raised a hand. She seemed to blush even more. Draco inwardly smirked. "Although I must say, it seems like you two are quite close."

"Well, I can't speak for Healer Granger, but yes… I like to think that."

His smirk grew. "Well… do you know her favorite color?"

"It's green," she replied immediately. "Like nature, or the forest…"

"I see," he said, surprised that it wasn't red or gold. "What about her favorite food?"

"Well… I'm not particularly sure outside St. Mungo's, but she does constantly ask for the green tea with the vegetarian wrap when she asks me to pick up lunch for her from the staff dining hall." Lilith's previous confidence seemed to falter.

"So she likes to eat healthy," Draco affirmed.

"Yes, Healer Granger constantly reminds me not to eat sweets too much."

He quietly snorted. Sounded like Granger all right. "She sounds really admirable," he commented. "Truly, she must already be married. It must be difficult to balance family life with being a healer."

"Actually, Healer Granger is still single," Lilith said quietly, as if she was afraid to correct him.

_Bingo._ Draco smiled triumphantly, but quickly pulled on a mask of surprise.

"Is she really? That's rather astonishing." Draco gave her an impressed look. "You really do know quite about her. I am awed by the close relationship within St. Mungo's Healers."

Lilith blushed again and seemed to nod in agreement.

Draco didn't bother her for the rest of her stay. He had gotten what he wanted to know with a little extra information.

He gave a short wave to Lilith as she left. Dear Merlin, she must have been in Hufflepuff, the girl was way too easy to manipulate. He was so used to Granger catching his subtly the next second, he had momentarily forgotten how easy it was to coax other people. He smirked. He wasn't sorted into Slytherin without reason.

Leaning back into his bed, he hummed quietly at his newfound knowledge. He found it quite ironic that her favorite color was green. He could easily imagine her in the Slytherin uniform, her hair sprayed out against the bed, his fingers slowly pulling the green and silver tie loose.

He cut the thought the next second.

Draco growled in frustration, but he didn't know how he was going to face her later if he had continued on that train of thought.

He decided to occupy his mind by testing out his wandless magic. He wouldn't receive his wand until he was released anyway. During the war, Snape had momentarily taught him how to discipline his mind and cast a wandless spell. Even his psychotic aunt had taught him a few things along with Occlumency. Draco began by concentrating on a jar of wraps on the counter. He twirled his hand as if he was a first-year again, trying out the levitation spell.

_Wingardium Leviosa._

Sure enough, the jar lifted off the counter, following the rise of his hand. Triumph bloomed in his chest as he set the jar back down without any cracks or accidental explosions.

Next he tried a spell that would conjure something. He glanced around the room marking the things he should definitely avoid. He didn't want St. Mungo's alarm going off because he had possibly blown something up. He noticed a crumpled piece of parchment just outside a lower cabinet that Lilith probably had forgotten to vanish. He pointed straight at the offending matter and tried to direct his magic.

_Incendio! _

Nothing conjured. He saw the edges of the parchment singe with heat and turn brown, but the paper remained. Concentrating, he calmed his mind and directed his magic again. There was a small eruption of fire that burned the parchment into flakes of ash in a second. Draco huffed with the loss of energy but grinned. He couldn't do any powerful spells without his wand, but it would suffice.

He thought of Granger. Something he could conjure for her. Something small but also had function, and could also express his feelings to a certain degree. The idea came to him the next moment, and he smirked.

…

Hermione had left 406 with a large smile on her features. Malfoy had done exceptionally well, and the time she spent with him was enjoyable after she admitted to herself that he was a more than decent individual.

She rubbed the blush off her cheeks and sighed. All through the course, she couldn't help but occasionally glance at the flexing of his arm muscles, or the way his shirt clung to him near the end. She had always considered Harry and Ron to smell disgusting after a Quidditch match, but Malfoy had a clean masculine scent that had made her hold onto him a second longer than necessary. She groaned and dropped the file she was filling out. She wouldn't be able to get any work done like this.

After grabbing a glass of water, she let her thoughts roam. Malfoy would be discharged in three days, which was approaching much too quickly. He still hadn't finished what he was about to say when she was interrupted with Miss Roth's arrival. Speaking of her, Hermione had to owl Harry about her waking. She scribbled a quick note to her best friend and set it aside to send later.

She drummed her fingers lightly on her desk and pondered. Whatever feelings she had for Malfoy had to be put on hold. He was still her patient, and there was always a possibility he was warming up to her simply because they spent a lot of time in each other's presence. She frowned at the consideration; that wasn't likely. In retrospect, she had only seen him early in the mornings for about half an hour, and Lilith overlooked the remainder of his care.

Turning back to the pile of files on her desk, she pushed her thoughts on Malfoy away. As of now, she had work that needed to be done, and patients that had to be checked. She had two new patients fall in yesterday, and she didn't have the leisurely time to think about Malfoy, no matter how much her chest ached.

It was a good hour after sundown, and Hermione was making her way up the stairs, a cup of green tea in her hands. She gulped down the rest of the warm liquid, and disposed of its container. She set her strides for 406, sliding the door open with ease.

Malfoy was lying in the bed as usual, and glanced up to meet her eyes as she walked in. There was a mischievous glint in them that made her stomach squirm. His lips curved into a pleasant grin.

"Hello, Granger." He greeted.

She nodded and smiled back, ignoring the fluttering from when he said her name. "Ready?"

He gave her a curt nod.

Hermione slid her arm around his back again and lifted him to his feet. He seemed much more confident with his strides than he was this morning. She guided him back to the rehabilitation room, trying to ignore the way his body was leaning against hers.

"If it makes you feel better," she informed. "I can levitate you when we return."

He made a soft snorting sound. "I rather like having you under me, Granger."

The second she caught the innuendo, she send a quick jab to his good leg. Oh God, did the man have to be so infuriating? She could only hope she wasn't blushing like mad.

Malfoy grunted slightly, but didn't falter. His chest rumbled with concealed laughter.

"Not another word," she growled lowly.

He was silent for the rest of their walk, but there was a triumphant smirk on his face.

Hermione lowered him on the same black chair, and conjured the bars again. "Okay, Malfoy. Same thing as this morning, but the course is longer."

He nodded in understanding and grabbed the bars, pulling himself up to his feet. She stood in front of him again, arms out, just incase he lost balance. Hermione almost wished he did, but she knocked that thought out faster than it came.

His steps were longer than in the morning and he didn't seem to have as much difficulty. Either the potion had done her justice, or Malfoy was simply a quick healer. Probably both.

They made it to the end of the course without him falling, and Hermione instructed him walk backwards now. He seemed to struggle a bit more but successfully made it nonetheless. After giving him a few moments to rest, she conjured a black mat on the floor and told him to sit down. She sat down in front of him and began to guide him through a series of leg stretches and resistant instruments.

When a few hours of consistent work had gone by, Hermione concluded the session over. Malfoy was on his back, his chest rising with quick breaths.

"Merlin, woman, I think you could slowly kill someone while doing this." She pulled him up by the shoulders and rolled her eyes.

"Patience, Malfoy," she said. "It'll get easier every time."

He just raised an eyebrow and didn't reply. She started to push herself off the floor when Malfoy's hand caught her wrist, and pulled her back down.

"Hold on."

Before she could ask, he released her wrist and caught the stray curls of her hair between his fingers, and slowly tucked them to the side of her head. Instead of letting go, he kept his hand there, holding it in place. His other hand reached to the bottom of his shirt and pulled out a small clip. Hermione almost gasped. Where in Merlin's name had he gotten that? She saw the pin for a split second, noticing the large green petals that twirled from the end of the clip, before he brought it up to her hair and snapped it in place.

"Hmm," he pulled his hands back and stared at her. "Looks better than I thought."

Hermione was still in a state of shock at the intimate gesture. She slowly reached up to her hair, feeling for the pin. Her fingers traced around the delicate glass like structure and glanced back to his grey eyes.

"Malfoy, where did you get this?" she finally asked, her voice still sounding shocked.

He shrugged. "It's one of my undisclosed secrets I told you about. Made by yours truly."

"But you don't have your wand!" she gasped quietly. "And making something like this wandlessly requires a lot of magical energy and discipline and—"

She stopped her sentence, and felt her cheeks flare. Hell, he had conjured it for her. And just like she said, it definitely wasn't easy to conjure an inanimate object with a wand, she didn't want to think about the amount of effort and energy to make something _without _it.

But he had done it.

Hermione wanted to burrow her face in her hands and scream. Her situation reminded her of those muggle romance books again. Clearing her throat, she tried to force her blush back down.

"Thank you, Malfoy," she finally squeaked. "It's lovely. And convenient."

He grinned sheepishly and seemed much more relaxed. "Did I ever tell you, you look good in green?"

She shook her head and felt the flower pin again. "You only say that because you were in Slytherin."

He made an attempt to look offended. "Certainly not, Granger. I expect to see it in your hair now every time I see you, for such an assumption."

Her jaw dropped. Hermione didn't actually have a problem with it, but she wouldn't let him have the satisfaction. "Whatever you say." She grumbled.

Not waiting for his retort, she rose to her feet and pointed her wand at Malfoy, pulling him up as well.

Deciding to simply levitate Malfoy back, she scanned the empty room and the hallway outside, making sure no other healers were around. With another flick of her wand, his body rose in the air and followed her out of the room.

The distance was traveled much faster and Hermione reached 406 in record time. She set Malfoy on the bed and released the spell. He seemed utterly amused at her actions. She preformed a quick cleaning spell and _accio_-ed another bottle of muscle building potion from the cabinet and handed it to him. He grazed her fingers _again_, while taking the bottle from her hand. She filled out his potion file, adding it to the long list of what he took since he arrived at St. Mungo's. She dropped the sheets at the foot of his bed and prepared to say farewell.

"Wait," he stuck his hand out and motioned for her to come back. Slightly frowning, she walked back over to him. "Your pin is falling loose."

She immediately raised her hand to adjust it, when he caught her wrist again, stopping her. "I'll get it." He offered.

Holding down a blush, she leaned towards him and turned her head so he could reach it easily. His hand barely regarded the pin and hooked around her head instead, pulling her down. Slightly alarmed, she opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by the sudden rise of his head, his lips capturing hers.

It only lasted for a second, but her heart soared. She felt her eyes widen and her body melt and erupt into fire at the same time. All she could think about was the perfect way his lips met hers. It felt right.

He pulled back ever so slightly, so his lips were barely grazing hers. He trailed up the side of her face and lingered over her temple.

"Good night, Granger," he murmured, before released his hold on her head and leaned back into the bed.

Hermione barely snapped out of her shock. "G-Good night, Malfoy." She turned on her heel and practically leaped out of the room. She could hear his muffled chuckle as she slid the door closed.

The moment she reached her office, her hand flew to her mouth and her chest. Her heart was pounding against her ribs, and she could still feel his lips on hers.

Malfoy had just kissed her.

And she had just kissed Malfoy.

Hermione expected the hospital to erupt in flames and him to walk into her office and start laughing.

Nothing happened.

She stood like a statue against the wall, heart still beating at a hundred miles an hour. He had kissed her, and for the love of Merlin, she had liked it. She couldn't contain the butterflies that flew in her stomach, or the large smile that took her lips. He hand slowly reached up to the pin in her hair, finding it perfectly in place.

That wonderfully cunning git.

He had gotten under her guard and got her good, no wonder the man was in Slytherin. She should have known. But even then, she didn't think she would have stopped him.

She tried to calm her breathing and chugged down a glass of water. She still had a little less than three days with him. How was she going to face him now? Should she treat him any differently? No, she treated him far more than a patient, and she finally admitted that. She groaned, feeling like a 13-year-old girl with raging hormones.

"Draco Malfoy," she whispered to herself. "What are you doing to me?"

It was going to be a long night.

The next morning came much too quickly. Hermione tossed the sheets off her legs, causing Crookshanks to growl in annoyance. After apologizing to her familiar, she leaped in the shower and began her usual morning routine.

She apparated into St. Mungo's, checked in, and grabbed her Healer robes from the office. She started with her newest patients, writing down her usual notes and making sure they were constantly stable. She replaced the wrappings on Miss Roth, and smiled at the gifts that surrounded her bed stand. Harry's Auror team must have stopped by already.

Leaving 410, she finally made her way to 406. She had a moment of hesitation before she gripped the handle, slid the door open and stepped inside. To her absolute surprise, Malfoy did not stir. He was curled to the left, his hand dangling from the side of the narrow bed and his eyes were sealed. She approached him with absolute caution, and took the opportunity to observe him without having his intense grey eyes stare back at her.

He was looking much more alive, still pale, but he had color in his skin again. His white blonde hair was looking neat as ever, falling like silk against his forehead. Hermione felt a pang of envy, wondering how he had such manageable hair, even when sleeping. Her eyes traced down the bridge of his nose and fell to his high cheekbones that gave him an aristocratic look. She admired his sharp jaw and glanced at his perfectly sculpted lips.

Lips that kissed her yesterday.

She felt another blush creep into her cheeks but she forced it away with a set of disturbing thoughts. Sighing quietly, she wondered if she should wake him or not. He was breathing evenly, and looked incredibly peaceful. But she had a feeling he would be upset with her if she had messed up the schedule and didn't wake him. She was his Healer after all.

She slowly reached over to his shoulder, tapping it lightly.

"Malfoy, wake up," she whispered.

She had thought he would wake immediately, but he simply grumbled in his throat and didn't move. Hermione was shocked. She knew he was a very light sleeper, and every morning was a testament to that. She briefly wondered if she had overdosed him with dreamless sleep, but considered the idea invalid once she remembered he didn't take any.

She tried again. "Malfoy, come on. It's time to get up."

He stirred a little more this time but didn't respond. What kind of peaceful mindset was he in before sleeping? Biting the inside of her cheek she took a sharp breath and increased her volume.

"Draco."

His eyelids immediately shot open, revealing confused grey eyes. They seemed hazed and unfocused, until he grunted softly met her gaze. He frowned slightly and regarded her with uncertainty.

"Why are you haunting my dreams, Granger?" his voice was slightly husky from the lack of alertness.

"This isn't a dream," she answered, wondering if he was being serious.

"Yes it is," he countered. "Granger would never call me by name in reality."

She thought about that for a moment. Indeed, she had never called him by name before. But neither had he. "Well I just did. Need I do it again? Now wake up."

He seemed to seriously ponder the question before clamping his eyes shut and reopening them. They appeared clear and alert. He rose from his position and gently shook his head.

"Okay, I'm awake, let's go."

Hermione pointed her wand at him, levitating him from the bed again. She picked up his file and led him out the door. She walked in silence, and Malfoy didn't seem to have anything to say either.

"Harry owled me the other day," she said quietly. "Told me they caught Yaxley. He's certain that he's the one who attacked you."

Malfoy's eyes seemed to narrow dangerously, but simply nodded instead. "Unlucky him."

"Indeed." Hermione finished lamely.

The rest of the trip was done in silence. She wondered if he regretted kissing her, which would explain his sudden quietness. Her stomach lurched uncomfortably, and her wand wavered. It didn't go unnoticed.

He gave her a quizzical look, but again, said nothing. Once they arrived, she lowered him onto the black chair and conjured a single bar. She instructed him to walk again, keeping an eye on his expression.

The rest of the session passed by like normal. Malfoy was slowly going back to his old self, making snarky remarks every so often. He completed his course without any casualties, which was always a bonus in Hermione's perspective.

As she helped him walk back to his room, Healer Smethwyck rounded the corner at the other end of the hallway. Malfoy didn't seem to notice. He turned and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't regret kissing you, you know," he informed and leaned closer to her. "In fact, I'll do it again if you wa—"

She shoved her palm in his face and wrapped her fingers around his cheeks, causing muffled grunt of alarm. She gave him a soft push before turning to see the Head Healer of Creature Induced Injuries walking towards her. She did her best to push down the rush of happiness. He gave her a nod.

"Healer Granger," he smiled warmly. "Everything all right?"

"Yes," she replied rather stiffly, when she felt Malfoy's tongue poke her palm. She immediately pulled her hand off him and cleared her throat. "Yes, We're just heading back from a rehabilitation session."

"Lovely, I'll let you be then," he answered and walked around her. "Good Day."

Hermione bid him farewell and shot Malfoy a venomous glare once he was out of sight.

"That was uncalled for—" she growled. "Really? Did you have to do that?"

"Absolutely," he smirked, sticking his tongue out at her.

She grumbled and started their walk again, pulling Malfoy a little faster than normal. She bit down on her lower lip, praying that her face didn't betray her. They stepped into 406, and Hermione lifted him onto the bed. She whipped the potion from the cabinet again and handed it to him. He was still smiling pleasantly, as if he had gotten all O's on his N.E.W.T.'s.

"So Granger, do _you_?" he asked casually, handing the empty bottle back to her.

She vanished it and dropped off his file. She turned to stare into his grey eyes, knowing he was talking about the kiss. Did she regret it? No.

"I don't," she firmly replied, before sliding the door open and stepping out.

.

It had been more than 30 hours since Malfoy had been released from St. Mungo's. He had expertly finished the rest of his rehabilitation and had been officially released yesterday morning. He waved at her and gave her a smirk, telling her that he would see her later.

What the hell did that _mean_? Hermione knew by now that he was not playing with her, but she had no idea if he was being serious when he said that. Should she try to contact him? Or should she wait for him to contact her? She muttered incoherently in frustration, despising the fact that she didn't have the answers.

Her healer robes were hanging over her chair, and her head against her desk. She lightly traced over the pin in her hair with her fingers, wondering what he was doing. For some odd reason, she hadn't received any calls from her patients today. She gave them their routinely check-ups, but mostly sat inside her office trying to get into her research. Hermione sighed and decided to get some dinner.

The moment she stood, she heard St. Mungo's emergency alarm system ring through her head. She cringed at the sudden sound and cursed. There were an awful lot of these calls recently. Rushing over to the device on her wall, she pressed the red button.

"Healer Granger," the front desk greeted. "There's someone here who requires your immediate attention. We're sending him up to room 400."

The connection cut off. Hermione walked over to her chair, and snatched the robes off. She replayed the message in her head again, freezing mid stride.

400?

That wasn't right. Room 400 wasn't a hospital room for patients.

It was her office.

The next second, she heard the crack of St. Mungo's apparition transportation, and whoever was dying had landed right on her office sofa. Muffling an alarmed shriek, she recognized the white blonde hair.

Malfoy cursed and stood up from his flat position, running a hand through his hair and glancing around the room until he saw her. A wide grin broke out on his face.

"Hello, Granger."

Hermione had a hand over her chest and her jaw slightly open. "Malfoy? What? What the hell is going on? How did you get in here? Why—"

"_Breathe_," he demanded, the grin still plastered on his face.

She did as he instructed, but continued to stare at him with wide eyes.

"As for 'how did you get in here?' I came through the emergency system—wouldn't recommend it, really—it's terribly uncomfortable." He scowled.

"Because it's for patients who are in critical condition!" she said with wonder. "If you're not dying again, how did you get them to send you?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I guess that's another one of my undisclosed secrets."

Hermione tried to argue but ended up laughing instead; the whole situation as so bizarre. After catching her breath, she finally noticed that he had walked closer. He gently took the healer robes from her hands and folded them elegantly.

"As for why I'm here," he began. "It's because I like you Granger, simple as that. And frankly, I think you like me too."

Her heart jumped with his sudden confession and she raised an eyebrow. "That is... incredibly bold, Malfoy."

He smirked. "Well am I right?"

"And if you are?" she questioned back, smiling.

"Then let's go."

She frowned. "Go where? I don't think I can just walk out when I have patients here."

He shook his head. "Not for tonight. Merlin, Granger, haven't you noticed that none of your patients called you in the last 5 hours? Anyway, we're going on a date."

She opened her mouth as if to retort, but no words came out. How had he done that? Sighing in defeat, she smiled again. "A dinner date?"

He simply nodded and gently took hold of her hand. He led her out the office, dropping the lime green robes on her desk, where they remained undisturbed for the rest of the night.

THE END

* * *

A/N: There you have it! The last chapter of my short story. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did while writing it—seriously there were times I just grinned like an idiot at my screen because they were so cute.

Anyway, a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed LGR, you guys are awesome!

I have a few more ideas for one-shots, _and_ I'm tossing around a bigger prompt for a true multi-chapter fic sometime in the near future. Keep an eye out!

Also, please review! This being my first DM/HG fic, I'll be open to constructive criticism, and other wise advice you're willing to enlighten me with.

Cheers,

El


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